Digital financial inclusion and fintech: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose Fintech firms are introducing various new financial products and services, and new methods of communicating with consumers through digital channels, leading to the emergence of the new term “Digital Financial Inclusion”. However, no comprehensive study has been conducted to cover the intellectual structure of research done so far on the topic of digital financial inclusion and fintech. The present study aims to explore the trends of scientific research in this area from a global perspective using a bibliometric analysis. Design/methodology/approach The present study is based on scholarly research work published in Scopus-listed journals. The study uses a web-based application Biblioshiny, a part of the bibliometrix package and VOSviewer to analyze 655 scholarly articles published during the period from 2015 to 2023, which cover diverse aspects of digital financial inclusion and fintech. Findings The results of the study reveal a rising interest in digital financial inclusion and fintech in the learnt community, with publications from both developing and developed countries, although the majority of the publications originate from developing countries. The study also finds the leading countries, institutions and authors contributing to the literature on digital financial inclusion and fintech. Originality/value This study can provide insight to policymakers for formulating the policy related to digital financial inclusion and fintech. Also, the social and intellectual structure can apprise future researchers about the emerging areas and opportunities to collaborate in this field.